BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – On Friday evening in Merritt Island’s Sykes Creek, dolphins and storks could be as the sun set.
Residents in the area said the algae levels have not only changed the color of the water, but also killed marine life.
“It’s not only just the fishing. It’s the recreation. It’s the lifestyle,” said resident Richard Marcarelli. “This goes in and out of the subdivisions in this area. Everybody has a canal behind their house. Everyone depends on this for their recreation.”
On Wednesday, the Brevard County Commission approved a Florida Department of Environmental Protection grant utilizing LG Sonic to use ultrasound and sonic waves to mitigate and monitor algae levels near Skyes Creek.
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Jacob Yodzis with LG Sonic said monitor software also provides updates every 30 minutes regarding the effectiveness of the wave frequencies.
“With our treatment, it is different. We don’t use chemicals. Our ultrasound naturally lets the algae die off in a sense that it is healthy for the environment,” Yodzis said. “No matter what, there is algae levels on a good day and a bad day. It’s just certain levels is what you are trying to meet and try to stay within that threshold.”
Illustrations on the company’s website show a barrier created between the algae and the water’s surface, preventing the sun’s rays from allowing it to grow.
“Using ultrasound versus traditional tactics like chemical spraying — treating it with harmful heavy metals — doesn’t allow that to happen. It just completely wipes out the ecosystem,” Yodzis said.
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